Love Hurts
by Stormess
Summary: DEADLIEST CATCH Andy Hillstrand can't get along with Jessica Daniels for five seconds, now he's going to be trapped on a crab boat with her for a whole season. Can he survive the trip, or will they end up in their biggest fight yet?
1. Disclaimer

**Disclaimer: **I don't own anything from Deadliest Catch, nor do I know anyone from Deadliest Catch, and I make NO money from this story. I own the idea for the story, as well as certain characters. My created and owned characters are Jessica, Nik, Brenna, children of the girls and Nik's sister. I also own the idea for the Aleutian Starfire, if there is a boat with that name already, it is coincidence and I claim no rights to any real boat of that name.


	2. The Beginning

Disclaimer: I own Jessica, thats about it, lol. Everything else is not mine, I have no ownership whatsoever!

A/N: The idea for them to be fighting and not getting along goes to my sister, as this was her general idea for this story, and she's asked me to take over the writing of it for her. So give her some props too, she has a great idea for this!

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For the thousandth time that day, Jessica Daniels muttered under her breath about control freak men who should be shot. Picking herself up off the ground, she dusted her jeans off and then glanced sideways at the horse that had just thrown her. She was convinced that her 'boss' had talked to the animals and told them all to throw her off. Of course his constant freaking out and yelling at her for her every move wasn't helping the situation.

"Jessica, when I say to do something, you do it!" Narrowing her eyes, she whirled around to face the man she wanted to strangle. Andy Hillstrand was standing just behind her with an irritated look on his face, a common occurrence when they were together. "If you would stop yelling for five minutes, I might be able to concentrate, Andy!" He shook his head and took the reigns, leading the horse back toward the stables.

Glaring at his retreating form, she wondered what in the world had ever possessed her to come here and agree to work for him. They had never gotten along, even when she'd been younger, it was a constant fight between them. It wasn't much of a shock to Andy, he blamed it on the age difference, saying she was too young to know better. He was headed toward forty-five, and she was just coming up on twenty-nine, but passed for sixteen still.

Picking her hat up off the ground, she jammed it back down on her head and stomped off after him, glaring daggers at his back. "You know, you could give me half a chance, it wouldn't kill you!" He looked back at her and frowned as he put the horse into it's stall and closed the door. "I've given you chances and you just don't measure up." Her pale blue eyes darkened and she turned on the heel of her boot, walking away from him with her hands clenched at her sides.

Andy watched her leave, leaning against the stall door, he had a problem with her, but it wasn't about her work. Ever since she'd turned sixteen and had grown up, he couldn't look at her without staring and looking like a fool. It hadn't helped that she spent three years prancing around in front of him with some loser she'd met. To this day it still made his blood boil to remember the way her ex boyfriend had been unable to keep his hands off of her.

He'd stayed out of it though, up until the time she had come to him, crying, bleeding and bruised from a fight. Without hesitation, he'd confronted the jerk and broken his nose to protect Jessica, it was only one of many times he'd helped her. Now that she was staying out of trouble, he had thought with her working here, she would be alright. Problem was that she had his constant attention, and he'd rather fight with her than admit the attraction.

When she disappeared from his sight, he moved away from the stall door, now trusting himself to move without chasing her down. He needed for the crabbing season to start so he could get away from her, being around her was dangerous. The sound of a truck pulling up caught his attention and he glanced over, smiling when he saw his brother, Johnathan. Walking over, he met his brother and they gave each other a hug before stepping back.

"The place looks good, seems like you're getting a lot of work done." Johnathan said as he slid his hands into his pockets. Andy shook his head and crossed his arms over his chest with a laugh, "I would get a lot more done if the she-devil wasn't around." They both laughed and then Johnathan leaned back against his truck. "She's not that bad, she's just a little high spirited, that's all." Picking a spot, Andy leaned against the truck with him. "High spirited and being a royal pain in my ass are two different things. I'm begging for the seasons to come sooner."

"Eddie broke his leg, he won't be coming this season, we need a replacement." Johnathan said as he looked at his brother. Just as Andy was about to speak, Jessica appeared out of nowhere and leapt straight into his brother's arms. He caught her and laughed, hugging her tightly against him, "Its so good to see you again Johnathan! God, its been months, I missed you!" Grinning, he put her back on her feet and kissed her cheek.

"Its good to see you again too Jess, you look great." She beamed up at him from beneath her cowboy hat. "Well thank you, you're not looking too bad yourself." Andy couldn't help the stab of jealousy that went through him to see her that happy. Nothing against his brother, but he wanted that smile of hers to be directed straight at him. "Mike had an accident and broke his leg, I came to tell Andy that we needed a replacement for this coming season." Johnathan said as he leaned back against the truck, still smiling at her.

"I hope he'll be alright, but its going to be hard to find someone on such short notice, the season is coming up fast." She said as she concentrated all her attention on Johnathan, not even acting like Andy was anywhere around. Nodding, the older of the two sighed and then adjusted his hat, "We need to find someone who will work hard, its not easy out there." Jessica agreed with him and then put her hands on her hips, chewing lightly on her bottom lip.

Both of the brothers watched her, but Andy looked away first, staring was not a good idea while anyone was around. "Take me with you then, I can do the job, you know I can, Johnathan." He looked at her with a little surprise, but Andy looked like he was going to pass out. The last thing he needed was to have her with him for a whole season. Before he could protest, Johnathan grinned and then nodded to her again, "Alright, you've got yourself a job, I hope you remember to pack some warm clothes for this trip, its going to be cold out there."

A squeal of excitement came from Jessica as she launched herself into his arms again, hugging him tightly. "Thank you Johnathan! Thank you, thank you! I won't let you down!" He laughed at her enthusiasm, hoping he was making a good choice by doing this. Just as he went to put her down, Jessica lip locked him, and Andy had to restrain himself from pulling her away. Taking a trip to the Bering Sea with her was going to end up with one of them hurt, or something he didn't even want to think about at that moment.


	3. Meeting Jake

Disclaimer: I own Jessica, the rest belongs to the rightful owners. I make no money from this, its pure entertainment only.

A/N: Ok so, this is what came out for me today after I chatted with my sister. Remember, I'm using her ideas to write this because it was originally supposed to be her story. She's too busy to write, so I'm writing it out for her, but she's feeding me ideas. I hope no one is too mad at me for bringing in our surprise visitor so early!

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When Jess woke up the next morning, she was completely psyched out about being able to go with the crew to fish crab. She'd never been before, but that didn't mean she couldn't learn how to do it and make Johnathan proud of her. Yawning a bit, she came down the stairs of the ranch house, honey blond hair tousled all over her head. A faded gray shirt fell just above her knees, it was one she'd snatched from Andy a while back. Bare feet made little sound against the hardwood floor as she shuffled into the kitchen in search of coffee.

The sun was just coming up as she walked into the kitchen and went straight for the coffeepot on the far counter. Another yawn left her mouth and she raked her hands through her long hair, lifting herself onto the island counter behind her. She had a lot of work to do today to get ready for her trip out on the Bering Sea with the Time Bandit crew. Her stomach growled and Jess rolled her eyes before hopping off of the counter and going to the refrigerator.

Humming to herself, she sifted through the contents of the refrigerator until she finally decided to just settle for pancakes. Getting the milk, eggs and butter, she turned and closed the door with her foot, putting the items on the counter by the stove. Moving up on her tiptoes, she searched through the cabinets above her head for the canister of flour. When she found it, she put it on the counter and then went in search of the sugar.

Once she had everything she needed, she found a bowl and a spoon, starting to mix the ingredients together. She was used to fixing breakfast in the mornings, so it didn't bother her to be up doing this, and besides, she was hungry too. Once she had the ingredients mixed together, she put the bowl down and put everything but the butter away. Turning, she turned the stove on and put the pan on it to let it get warm, picking up a scrunchie and pulled her hair up on her head.

Andy woke up to the alluring smell of freshly brewed coffee and breakfast cooking downstairs in the kitchen. Tossing the covers back from the bed, he got up and stretched a bit before opening the door of his room and walking out. The sound of soft humming reached his ears and he smiled sleepily before starting down the stairs. It was a rare time to catch Jessica at her most beautiful, but he wouldn't ever let her or anyone else know his thoughts.

His own bare feet made no sound on the floor as he came down the stairs and crossed over into the kitchen. For once, the sight that greeted him was something he wasn't expecting to see, it was completely out of the normal for her. She was wearing one of his shirts, of all things he expected to see her in, that wasn't one of them. Leaning against the doorway, he watched her as she moved about the kitchen, early morning sunlight making her glow.

Against his better judgment, he pushed himself away from the doorway and walked over to where she was cooking. Reaching out, he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close to him, burying his face against her hair. Jessica squeaked when the arms went around her waist, not knowing what in the world was going on. She didn't know who had hold of her, but she was about to find out and then give them a piece of her mind.

Turning her head, she came face to face with Andy, her eyes going wide not just because it was him, but because of the look in his eyes. Unsure what to think, she started to get nervous, her thick southern accent coming out right away. "Andy Hillstrand, you let go of me right this instant!" He contemplated her words and then realized what he was doing. Just as he was about to throw caution to the wind and kiss her, the front door banged open.

The loud noise made him jump back from her like he'd been shot, retreating to the table to keep his hands off her. Johnathan walked inside with a smile on his face, being closely followed by a young man near Jessica's age. Andy cursed silently when he realized that his brother had brought the Northwestern deckhand, Jake Anderson, for a visit. It only got wore when he saw Jake and Jessica's eyes lock, the two of them smiling at each other.

Johnathan walked over and got himself a cup of coffee before going to the table with his brother as Jessica zipped out of the kitchen. "Jake wanted to come see the place before the season, so I brought him out here." Andy nodded and tried to smiled about it, but he didn't like the way the younger man had been eyeing Jessica. "Its not the Ritz, but its home to us around here." Jake nodded to Andy with a grin as he walked over to the table, "That's no problem, its great here. Who's the girl, she's beautiful."

Grinning, Johnathan started to say something, but Jessica came back down the stairs fully dressed, well sort of. She was in a pair of skin tight jeans, her cowboy boots and a little white tanktop that was enough to make Andy stare. Putting a smile on her face, she went over to Jake and held out her hand to him, "Jessica Daniels, pleasure to meet you." He took her hand and lifted it, placing a kiss on the back of her hand, "Jake Anderson, and it's my pleasure to meet you, Jessica."

Jealously surged through Andy, making him want to jump from the table, grab her, and kiss her until he was the only man on her mind. Before he had a chance to do anything, Jessica had grabbed Jake's hand and they were out the door. Johnathan laughed and then looked over at his brother, noticing the look on his face. "Tell me that look doesn't mean what I think it does." Andy looked at his brother and then narrowed his eyes, "Don't think about it, it means nothing at all."

Looking at his younger brother, Johnathan crossed his arms over his chest, "You like her, don't you?" Rolling his eyes, Andy stood up and got himself a cup of coffee, "I don't like her, and I don't care what she's doing." Leaning back in his chair, John sighed and then stood up, walking over to where his brother was standing. "If you like her that much, you need to tell her. You can see the jealousy in your eyes when she's near another man, even when she's near me." Andy shook his head and took a drink of his coffee, "Taking her on this trip is a mistake, and for all I care, Jake Anderson can keep her if he wants her so badly."


	4. The Elbow Room

Disclaimer: I own Jessica, Nikolina, Erik, Kirsten, not sure if I mentioned anyone else I own, lol. The rest of the people and places belong to their rightful owners, not me. I make no money from this, and it is for pure entertainment only.

A/N: Did I mention that I loved creating drama and tension? Apparently my sister does as well, and we seem to write fantastically together! We'll be bringing new chapters to you soon! Enjoy!

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A few days later, Andy was sitting in a seat beside Jessica, on their way to Alaska to get the Time Bandit ready for the season. She was nearly bouncing with excitement over being taken along for this trip, but she was nervous too. The snowy scene below the plane had her captivated, staring out of the window with a smile on her face. He was less than amused with it though, but at least Jake Anderson wasn't anywhere around today.

It had infuriated Andy to no end when Jake had come to visit, mainly because Jessica had been stuck to his side. When he left, she had even looked sad, and what was worse, she had ran to him and given him a kiss. To keep from hurting the younger man, Andy had had to turn and walk away from the sight of the two of them. Ever since then, all she'd talked about was how dreamy and amazing Jake was, leaving Andy in a horrible mood every time she said his name.

When the plane landed, Jessica shot out of her seat and quickly stepped off into the snowy weather of Dutch Harbor. Grinning widely, she turned back to the plane to look for Andy, "Come on Andy, lets go to the Elbow Room!" He stepped off of the plane and looked at her, rolling his eyes and following behind her as she took off running. It was amazing how excited she could be over something like this, and he didn't like the idea of her seeing Jake again.

As soon as they entered the Elbow Room, he regretted not going to the Time Bandit first, because there was Jake. The young man leapt from his chair with a grin, Jessica spotted him and returned the grin, "Jakey!" Running over to him, she wrapped her arms tightly around his shoulders and he lifted her off her feet in a hug. "Jess, oh wow, its great to see you again!" The two of them drew the attention of the entire room, and Andy narrowed his eyes.

Resisting the urge to hit Jake, he turned and walked to the table where Sig Hansen, Phil Harris and Nikolina Hansen were sitting. He all but threw himself into the chair and ordered a beer, leaning back and crossing his arms over his chest. Sig's eyebrows shot up at the look on the other captain's face, not remembering when he'd seen him this mad. Following his line of vision, Nik spotted the problem, Jake Anderson was all over the girl Andy had come into the bar with.

Leaning over to Andy, she put a hand on his arm, "Its good to see you again, Andy. Who's that pretty girl you came in with?" He looked over at the female captain and narrowed his eyes, making Sig put a protective arm around his wife. "You know, if you keep glaring like that, everyone is going to notice something is wrong." Phil said as he took a drag off of his cigarette and looked at Andy, trying to get him to lighten up a little.

Andy shifted in his chair and picked up his beer, taking a long drink of it, his eyes still locked on Jessica flirting with Jake. "Her name is Jessica Daniels, she works for me." Nik nodded a bit and then looked back toward Jessica and Jake. "You're just friends with her, right? I mean, you don't like her as more than a friend, do you?" Glancing at Nik, he threw up his hands with an irritated sigh, "Maybe I do and maybe I just don't like Jake."

Sig glanced at his friend and fellow captain before shaking his head and taking a drink of his own beer. "If you didn't feel something for her, you wouldn't be acting like an ass right now." Andy glared at the Norwegian captain and finished his beer before standing up. Nik went to say something, but Andy glared at her before storming out of the Elbow Room. The three captain's looked at each other and started laughing, Andy Hillstrand was finally in love, and he was jealous.

Jessica had watched Andy storm out of the building, wondering what in the world had him in such a bad mood lately. Excusing herself from Jake and his friends, she left the Elbow Room to follow behind Andy and find out what was wrong. She saw him heading toward the Time Bandit, running to try and catch up with him. He beat her there and hauled himself up and over the rail, dropping onto the deck and heading toward the wheelhouse.

Shaking her head, she carefully went up to the boat and lifted herself up, managing to get over the rail and onto the deck. Glancing back, she made a mental note to learn how to just haul herself over that rail when she had a chance. Looking back toward Andy, she watched him disappear into the wheelhouse and she hesitated before going after him. Climbing the steps that led to the wheelhouse, she paused outside the door to watch him.

Tilting her head a bit, she watched as he went over and sat down in the captain's chair, an angry look on his face. Quietly opening the door, she stepped inside and pushed it closed behind her, making him turn to look at her. She'd seen him angry about things before, mainly at her, but she had never seen this particular look of anger. Walking over, she slid by his legs to stand in front of him, leaning back against the instrument panel.

"Andy, I'm not sure whats wrong, but I've never seen that look on your face before. Tell me whats wrong." She said as she crossed her arms over her chest and looked down at him. He watched her for a few minutes and then looked away again. "Nothing you need to be concerned about, its none of your business. Go back to the Elbow Room with your boyfriend." His words shocked her even though they'd had their fights, this went beyond that, he sounded downright pissed.

"I'm not leaving with you acting this way, something's wrong and you need to talk about it, so get talking!" He stood up, towering over her and looked down into her eyes, "Jessica, leave right now before I do something we'll both regret later." The look in his eyes made her wary and she quickly slid by him, putting some distance between them. She started to speak but then changed her mind, turning and running from the wheelhouse as fast as she could.


	5. Right and Wrong

Disclaimer: I own nothing from Deadliest Catch, everything is owned by their/its respective owners, not me. I own Nik, Jess, Erik, Bren, Christa, all my original girls and kids, don't steal them. No money is made from this either, I'm broke, leave me in peace with my brokeness, k thx.

Author's Notes: Ok so like, I know everyone wants to kill me over this story, and I'm sorry. This chapter has been done for a while now and I, oh so smartly, had forgotten to post it -.- forgive me and I hope you enjoy! Thanks again to my lovely beta, SigGirl, ily!

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Jonathan watched as Jessica came flying out of the wheelhouse and went down the stairs, zipping by him without a word. She hauled herself over the rail and then took off running down the dock toward the Elbow Room as fast as she could. The older Hillstrand brother narrowed his eyes and went up the steps toward the wheelhouse. He walked inside and looked at Andy before walking over and crossing his arms over his chest, "I saw Jessica run out of here like she'd been slapped, what the hell happened between you two in here?"

Looking over at his brother, Andy leaned back in the captain's chair with a sigh, "Nothing happened in here." Eyeing his younger brother, Jonathan leaned his hip against the side of the instrument panel. "Jessica doesn't run from much, if anything, but she was running as fast as those long legs of hers could carry her. So don't sit there and tell me that nothing happened." There was complete silence in the small room before Andy sighed. "She came to see why I was mad, and I told her to go back to Jake before I did something we would both regret."

Shaking his head, Jonathan glared down at his brother, "Something you would both regret? What the hell were you planning on doing to her?" Their eyes met and Andy stayed perfectly silent, not saying a single word. "You have got to be kidding me…there is no way in hell you would have actually touched her." The oldest of the two said as he stared at his younger brother, something was telling him that Andy really would have put his hands on Jessica.

"Andy, you need to talk to her. We're leaving in two days to go out fishing, I don't need you two on deck fighting." Jonathan said as he shook his head and then turned and walked out of the wheelhouse to leave Andy by himself. The younger of the two watched his brother leave and then sighed heavily, leaning his head back. He knew he needed to talk to her, but every time he got near her, he thought of Jake having his hands on her, and it made him want to make her his.

He didn't think he loved her, and even if he did, he was too old for her and he wasn't the man she needed in her life. Shaking his head, he stood up from the captain's chair and walked to the door, opening it and stepping outside. Jonathan was right, he had to try and find a way for the two of them to get along, at least for the season. It just wasn't something he was used to in the least, he didn't know how to handle someone like her. The thought of having to look into her eyes was downright scary, he could get lost in her eyes if he wasn't careful.

When Jess reached the Elbow Room, she came through the door and locked eyes with Jake, his smile fading when he saw her. Getting up from his chair, he hurried over to her and took her into his arms, hugging her tight. She wrapped her arms around him and hugged him close, sighing heavily; she'd never seen Andy the way he'd looked in the wheelhouse. Something about the look in his eyes was haunting her; she didn't know what to think about it.

Jake glanced over to his friends and waved to them, letting them know he was taking her somewhere so they could talk. He led her outside and put his arm around her shoulders, starting toward the Northwestern. "Jessica, you can tell me what's bothering you if you want to. Honestly, I'm worried about that look in your eyes." She looked up at him and gave a light smile, trying to reassure him that everything was just fine. He knew she didn't want to talk about it, so he gave up on the subject, giving a soft smile back to her.

They reached the Northwestern and he climbed over the rail, pulling himself up onto the deck and then looking down at her. Leaning over the rail, he held his arms out to her, smiling as he waited her step forward. When she was in his arms, he carefully lifted her up, over the rail, and put her down on her feet on the deck. Their eyes met and he saw a blush cross her cheeks before she turned and cleared her throat, tucking a few strands of hair behind her ear.

Putting his hand on her lower back, he led her over to the other side of the boat, overlooking the dark water below them. She looked up at him and smiled before reaching over and sliding her hand into his, giving it a light squeeze. Jake grinned and returned the squeeze before pulling her to him, sliding his arms around her waist. A soft blush covered her cheeks, her hands resting against his chest, being this close to Jake made her heart beat faster.

Leaning down, he pressed his lips against hers, holding her tighter against him, enjoying this moment between them. Jess shivered and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, returning the kiss he was giving to her. Something about it still seemed wrong though, like she was kissing and loving the wrong man, but she was attracted to Jake. Her mind went blank when his tongue slipped into her mouth, her fingers sliding into his slightly long hair.

Lifting her up a bit, he carried her into the small hallway leading below deck, pushing her up against the wall. She blushed deep red, knowing that this wasn't a good idea right now, but that didn't matter, she was upset with Andy. Somehow, taking it out with Jake seemed like a good idea, he was someone she could learn to love. He could be good for her, and it was about time she found someone who was good for her.

Andy came into the Elbow Room and glanced around, checking to see if there was any sign of Jessica or Jake. He caught Nick Mavar's eyes and the Northwestern deckhand nodded to him, letting him know where Jessica was in one look. Turning around, he left the bar and started toward the docks to find her and apologize. Something had to give between them, she needed to know his true feelings, and then maybe he wouldn't snap at her every five minutes.

When he reached the Northwestern, he pulled himself over the rail onto the deck and glanced around. Frowning a bit, he took a few steps forward and then stopped in his tracks, his eyes catching sight of something that stopped his heart. Wrapped in Jake's arms was Jessica, who had her hands all over him, and they were locked in a heated kiss. He'd seen her with other men before now, but it had never had such an effect on him.

Narrowing his eyes, he clenched his fists and went straight over to the couple, grabbing Jessica's arm and pulling her away from Jake. She gasped softly at the sudden appearance of Andy, trying to figure out what to say. Before she could speak, Jake lunged at Andy, but the older of the two sidestepped it and shoved him toward the deck. Without a word, Andy lifted her up and stepped over the rail, dropping down to the docks.

"Andy, what the heck are you doing! You could have hurt him!" Jessica yelled as she tried to struggle out of his grasp. Andy held her more tightly and carried her along the docks toward the Time Bandit. "Don't go near Jake Anderson again, ever." He said as he climbed onto the boat and then took her hand, pulling her toward the wheelhouse. "I'll regret this later, but the hell with it." Just as she opened her mouth to speak, he pulled her inside the wheelhouse and slammed the door behind the two of them.


	6. Morning After

Disclaimer: I own nothing from the world of Deadliest Catch, all noticeable people and places are not mine, obviously. I do own Jessica, Brenna and Nikolina, anyone else you don't recognize from the show is also mine. Aleutian Starfire is also mine, don't steal anything, or I'll use you for crab bait on the Time Bandit!

A/N: Ok ok, so I know this has been SO long in coming and all you loyal ones are ready to murder me for not posting something sooner, but here is my latest chapter for you. I hope you enjoy it, it took me so long to think this stuff up. Special shout outs to my DC girls from the forum here, I love you all dearly!

Jessica woke up the next morning to the sounds of people moving around the boat, a sound she wasn't accustomed to just yet. Sitting up a bit, she surveyed her surroundings, trying to figure out just where exactly she was. The small room was the first thing she noticed, the male clothes and other items were the second thing that got her attention. Yawning a bit, she raked a hand through her hair and then paused, she wasn't wearing any clothes. Blinking a few times before the memories of last night came flooding back to her. Arguing with Andy had let to the wheelhouse and then down to the captain's quarters. "What have I done…" She groaned as she rested her head in her hands for a few moments.

Sighing heavily, she tossed the blankets back and slid out of the bed, starting to pick up her discarded clothes. Her thoughts were in turmoil as she redressed herself, still being able to feel every place he'd touched and kissed on her skin. Turning, she sat on the edge of the bed, pulling on her socks and then her boots, picking up her jacket and sliding it on. Standing up, she stepped out of the room, making her was down the hall and then up onto the deck where the other crew members were just coming on board. She'd met all of them before, but she was unsure as to how they would react to her being here now.

Neal, the youngest of the Hillstrand brothers, was the first to catch sight of her, his eyebrows raising a bit, causing him to stop what he was doing. Seeing a woman on the Time Bandit was not a normal part of the routine, and he wasn't sure just what Jessica was doing here in the first place. Noticing that Neal was otherwise occupied, Russell Newberry followed his line of vision and then froze where he was. Scott Hillstrand and Mike Fourtner were soon to follow suit, leaving four men staring at her with shocked looks on their faces.

Glancing away from them, she shifted from one foot to the other and then cleared her throat, not entirely sure what to say. Neal glanced at his crew mates and then walked over to her, pulling her into a hug to get her to relax a little. "Been a while, Jess. What're you doing here in Dutch?" He asked as he let go of her and looked down at the small woman. She returned his hug and then smiled a bit, "Johnathon came out to the ranch and told us about Eddie's broken leg, I volunteered to take his place this season." Russell grinned and walked over, ruffling her hair, "That's good news for us, greenhorn, we'll give you hell all season long."

She laughed and batted his hand away, smacking at his arm, "You just try it, Russ, we're out here to fish, not pick on the new girl." The crew laughed and Russ shook his head before looking back at her, "Hey, what's the new perfume? Smells kind of familiar." Tilting her head a bit, she eyed him and then sniffed the collar of her shirt a few times, "I don't smell anything new, but thanks for telling me I smell good." Scott leaned over and sniffed her before moving back, taking a moment to mull over the scent before his eyebrows shot up.

Before he could say anything, Johnathan swooped in and picked her up off her feet in a big hug, a smile on his face. She squealed and squirmed her way out of his grasp, "Good lord, John, you scared the daylights outta me!" He laughed and hugged her to his side, pausing for a second to look down at her, "Why do you smell so much like Andy?" Everything went dead pan silent on the deck after Johnathan's words, all eyes turning to her in shock. Looking down at her feet, red started to tint her cheeks, not knowing what to say to them about that.

"What are you all standing around for when there's work to be done?" Came Andy's voice from behind them, making the crew jump at the sudden sound. All eyes except Jessica's turned to him and he felt uneasy, "What?" Without thinking, Scott grinned at his uncle, "I didn't know you and Jessica had a thing going on together, did you have fun?" Anger flashed in Andy's eyes and he steeled himself, "There's nothing going on between us. Now, we've got work to do before we head out." He said before glaring at all of them and storming up to the wheelhouse.

Wordlessly, all of the crew, except Johnathan, turned to go get started on preparing the boat for leaving out for the season. Turning to her, he put a hand on her shoulder, concerned when she wouldn't look up at him. Reaching out, he put a finger under her chin and tipped her head up, not prepared when he saw her eyes full of tears, some of them already running down her cheeks. "Jessica…" She shook her head and stepped out of his reach, rubbing her eyes angrily before she stomped off to go help with the boat. It was a reaction that Johnathan hadn't been expecting to see from her.

Turning, he walked up the stairs to the wheelhouse and went inside, closing the door behind him before walking over and sitting down near Andy. "I thought you might want to know, you made her cry, Andy." He said as he crossed his arms over his chest, watching her down on deck, working with the crew like it was natural for all of them. Pain stabbed through Andy's heart at his brother's words, he never intended to hurt her, but in his anger, that was exactly what he'd done. He wanted to steel himself again, but the pain he was feeling wouldn't let him right now.

"What exactly happened with the two of you last night?" John asked as he glanced at his brother, watching for the emotion on his face. Sighing, Andy leaned back in the captain's chair and crossed his arms over his chest. "I caught her with Jake last night…brought her back here…" He said as he tipped his head back and rubbed his hands over his face. "Ok, let me understand this. You went to talk to her, found her with Jake, then brought her back here and slept with her?" John quipped as he turned to face his brother fully now, a little surprised at what had happened between the two.

Nodding, Andy stood up and turned away from his brother, fixing his hands on his hips, holding his head down. "I couldn't keep my hands off of her, John. She never asked me to stop, she just…I don't know." He said quietly, the memories from last night running through his mind over and over again, wanting to have her in his arms again. "Andy, I know you didn't force anything on her, you're not like that." John replied as he stood up and walked over to his brother's side, putting a hand on his shoulder, "Go and talk to her, calmly. Andy, you love her, you can't leave things like this between you two, you just can't."

Closing his eyes, Andy hesitated for a minute and then walked out the door, heading down the stairs onto the main deck. Jess was working with Mike to load the bait onto the boat, not making a sound while she worked. Walking over, he waited until her hands were free, reaching out and taking her hand gently, pulling her through the door leading below deck. She looked up at him, emotionless, as he pulled the door closed and then looked back at her. "There something I can do for you, Captain Hillstrand?" The sound of her voice hurt him, and the way she'd addressed him just tore his heart into a million pieces right there on the spot.

"Jessica, please don't talk like that. I didn't mean that to come out the way it sounded." He said as he placed a gentle hand on the side of her face. "Then what did you mean? Was I supposed to be the one night stand, whore? Or was I just supposed to be your dirty little secret, Andy?" She bit back at him, the bitterness in her voice letting him know just how angry she really was with him. "Nothing like that, Jessica, please don't do that. You aren't any of those things to me." He nearly pleaded with her, their eyes locking, hoping she could see that he wasn't lying, he'd never meant for her to feel like that about what he'd said.

"What I am then, Andy? Tell me, what was last night to you." She said as tears filled her eyes, starting to stream down her cheeks. "I care about you, Jess, I wouldn't have done that if I didn't…" He said softly as he wiped the tears away from her cheeks before pulling her into the circle of his arms. The soft sound of crying filled the small space as she cried into his chest, her hands clenching around his shirt. Andy rested his head on top of hers and gently stroked her hair, hating himself for making her cry twice in one day. He leaned back against the wall and kept her pulled close in his arms, trying to comfort her and make the tears stop.

When her crying subsided, he gently rubbed her back, then lifted her head up to look at him, "Jess, the season will be hard on you, but I promise we will talk about us as soon as we get back home." She nodded a bit and wiped her eyes, taking a light breath, "I'm forgiving you this time, and I will make it to the end of the season; don't make me regret it." He lifted a hand and gently cupped her cheek, tipping her head back, his thumb brushing across her lower lip. "I won't make you regret it Jess, but this season won't be easy." He said softly as he threaded his fingers through her hair. Letting go of her, he dropped a kiss on her forehead and then turned, walking down the hallway.

Jess sighed softly as she watched him leave down the hallway; something didn't feel right, and she didn't like the feel of it at all. Putting her personal issues out of her mind, she turned and walked back onto the deck, pulling her hair up to get back to work. Mike cast her a glance, but didn't say anything, falling back into their work routine. She was a hard worker once she was told or shown what to do, so long as Andy wasn't around. Catching sight of Mike looking at her, she paused and then grinned, going back to work on stacking up the bait. For now, things were easy on her, but the Bering would test her, and deck life would be the hardest challenge she'd ever face in her life.


	7. Nik, Bren, Love, Oh My!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything from Deadliest Catch, which is obvious. I own Nik, Brenna, Jessica and anyone else you don't recognize from the show. Aleutian Starfire is mine, don't steal anything or I'll use you as crab bait on the Time Bandit!

A/N: I got this chapter done shortly after the previous one, so they're both being posted. Again, a shout out to my DC girls from the forum here, I love you all and hope you enjoy this story, I'm doing my best on it!

After the Time Bandit had been prepared for the season, Jess was ready to go rest for a while, taking her work gloves off and putting them in her jacket pocket. Before she could escape, she was lifted off her feet by Mike, who handed her over the rail to Neal. "Come on guys, I want to go lay down for a while before we leave." She protested as she struggled out of Neal's hold, a slight frown on her face. Walking over to her, Scott put an arm around her shoulder, "No rest yet, we're going to the Elbow Room, its tradition." Rolling her eyes, she threw up her hands in defeat, there was no sense in arguing with them, she'd never win that one, "Okay, okay, okay, we'll go to the Elbow Room."

Scott beamed and took hold of her wrist, nearly dragging her along the docks toward the bar. She ran to keep up with him, not entirely happy about being dragged back to the place where he problems started here. The door banged open and an overly enthusiastic Scott hauled her inside. Before she could open her mouth, he had released her arm and zoomed over to the bar for a drink. Shaking her head, she pulled her coat off and hung it up on the rack near the door before turning to survey the room. Right off, she noticed a woman looking at her, a very pregnant woman at that. Feeling a bit uneasy, she went to turn away, only to run into the solid form of a man.

Cursing softly, she gained her balance and then looked up to see who exactly she'd just slammed into. The amused face of the Northwestern captain filled her view, and she had the decency to blush, "Sorry, Captain Hansen, I didn't mean to run into you." Jess apologized with an equally apologetic look on her face. He shook his head and held up his hand, "No apology needed, but I think my wife would like to meet you." Sig motioned to Nik, who was still surveying the blond woman. Blinking a few times, Jess mulled it over and decided she'd be safer with a female ally around here. "It would be an honor to meet her, Captain Hansen." She said as she cast him a grin to lighten the mood. "No need for the Captain part, we all know I am, just call me Sig." He called over his shoulder as he led to way to the table where Nik was sitting.

Following along behind Sig, she nodded to his request, "Okay Sig, I'll try to remember that for future reference." The Norwegian laughed and walked to his wife's side, bending down to drop a loving kiss on her lips before taking the seat next to her. Jess shuffled awkwardly, causing Nik to grin and stand up, with Sig's help, holding out her hand to the other woman. Putting a smile on her face, she shook the hand extended to her, "Jessica Daniels, it's a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Hansen." Snorting in obvious distaste, Nik rolled her eyes, "Please, call me Nik, there's no need for formality, unless we're on my boat." A look of surprise crossed Jess's face as she watched the other woman sit down again, "Your boat? Are you a captain too?"

Sweet laughter bubbled from Nik's lips as she nodded, "I am, indeed. Well, part time anyway. I run my boat when I'm not pregnant." Nik eyed her husband after her previous statement, making him raise his eyebrows before her gaze returned to Jess. "Anyway, Jessica, word has it that you're taking Eddie's spot for the season until his leg heals." Taking a seat, Jess nodded and crossed her legs, "Yeah, John said they needed help, so I told him I'd be glad to help out." Smiling, Nik leaned back in her chair and put a hand over her stomach, rubbing softly. "Sweetheart, I'd like to have a woman to woman talk to Jessica, if you don't mind."

Sig just smiled knowingly, kissed his wife's cheek, and then dismissed himself from the table. "I noticed that you came in with Andy the other day, and you know out Jakey." Nik stated calmly, taking a sip of her water, her eyes never leaving the other woman. Shifting a bit, Jess nodded, choosing her words carefully, "I work on Andy's ranch, and Jake I met before the season." Nik rolled the information around and then leaned on the table, "I heard about the little scuffle on the deck of the Northwestern, Jakey is seething with anger over it." A stab of guilt shot through Jess and she looked away quickly, "Look, I'm not here to lecture you, but Andy likes you, a lot. He's never been so protective and territorial of a woman, before you." Nik stated as she watched the other woman's reactions closely, "I didn't mean for the fight to happen with them, but I promise, Mrs. Hansen…Nik, it won't be a problem again, I won't go around Jake anymore."

Blinking in surprise, Nik eyed the other woman, "Not that I'm complaining, but what are you staying away for?" Mentally kicking herself, Jess recovered quickly, "Its nothing, I just don't want to cause trouble for anyone." Frowning a bit, Nik shook her head, "Nice try honey, but I'm not buying that for a second. You slept with Andy, didn't you?" A blush settled heavily over Jess's cheeks, only serving to confirm Nik's suspicions about the secret couple. "Jake won't stay upset for long, don't worry about him. Just tell me I'm not wrong in assuming that you care about Andy." Before Jess could answer, another dark haired woman came up to the table. She was taller than Nik, her hair a little longer, but she was just as pregnant, if not more so. The two of them hugged briefly and then sat down, side by side, light smiles on their faces.

Uneasiness settled with Jess again, she wasn't sure if she wanted to deal with two of them at the same time. The new woman offered a warm smile toward her, "Don't look so scared, I don't bite, unless I'm biting my husband." Nik laughed and shook her head, taking a drink of her water, a smile still on her face. "I'm Brenna Harris, Phil Harris's wife. You can call me Bren if you like, everyone else does." Feeling a bit more comfortable with Brenna than Nik, Jess smiled back to her. "Jessica Daniels, I'm a temporary deckhand on the Time Bandit." At the mention of the boat, Bren's eyes lit up like a kid in a candy store, "So you're the one who has Andy acting so strange!" Nik covered her mouth to stifle a laugh at the outburst of her friend.

Well, that wasn't the reaction Jess had been looking for, but she sighed and then nodded a bit to her. "That would be me, I'm just not sure what the big deal is with me and Andy, there's not really anything." The other two women looked at each other and then grinned. "This is the first time we've seen Andy in love since we've known him." Bren stated as she ran a hand through her hair to push it out of her face for the time being. At the word love, Jessica's eyes widened and her mouth fell open, "No, no, no, I think you have it all wrong, he's not in love with me. He's just…well…he's just Andy, that's all." Nik grinned and shook her head a bit, "Honey, he's in love. As a married woman who chased down a Bering Sea captain, take my word for it, he loves you."

Silence settled over the table as Jess took a few moments to process the information she'd been handed just now. There was so much to think about, especially where Andy was to be concerned in her life. On one hand, they had always argued and fought with each other since the day they'd met. But on the other hand, there had been a very strong connection between them the night before. She wanted to hope, to believe that maybe, just maybe, there was someone who loved her. It was hard to let herself even think that, love had broken her heart so many times, and she didn't want to go through it again. Bren noticed the emotions shift across Jessica's face, and she reached out, putting a hand on her arm.

The contact snapped her out of her thoughts, her eyes looking to Bren, "I'm sorry, I was just thinking." Tilting her head a bit, the dark haired woman offered a soft smile, "Talk to us about whats on your mind. We're all family here, especially us women." Jessica eyed the both of them warily, but she had heard Johnathan and Andy both talk about the two women. They were good, honest women, and right not, she needed some friends she could talk to about things. "I've always been in bad relationships, and I've always gotten hurt in the end no matter what I did." Both women nodded, staying quiet to allow the blond to continue on with her story.

"I started to work for Andy part-time when I was with my last boyfriend. He got drunk one night and came home, I was wearing on of Andy's old jacket's he'd given me. Brad went crazy with jealous rage, and he attacked me. I got away and ran to Andy's house for help, but Brad came after me anyway. He tried to attack me again, but Andy stepped in and broke his nose, then made him leave. I've been living at the ranch ever since." Nik and Bren's eyes were misty with tears when she finished, feeling for the other woman, "You did the right thing, Jessica, Andy will protect you no matter what comes along." Bren said softly with a smile toward her new-found friend.

As soon as Bren finished speaking, Andy walked through the door of the Elbow Room, a breeze of cold air following from outside. He was in a pair of tight fitting Wrangler jeans, a white t-shirt, cowboy boots and a white cowboy hat. The sight of him alone was enough to take the breath from Jessica's lungs, and her heart to skip a beat. Their eyes met, and emotion flashed across his face as he looked at her from across the room. She wasn't dressed to impress, but she was always beautiful to him no matter what she was wearing.

Her jeans were a little tight, her work boots peeking out from under the denim material, since she hadn't changed them. The shirt she wore was one of his old Time Bandit shirts, the hem of it tucked into the waistband of her jeans. Her long, honey blond hair was mussed over her head from the wind outside and from work itself. Nik and Bren watched the two of them and then grinned, moving from the table to rejoin their husbands at the captain's table on the other side of the room. It was clear that the couple needed some time alone to themselves.

Slowly, Andy started to make his way through the crowd and maze of people to get to Jessica, not sure what to say or do, but he was drawn to her. She stood up from her chair when he got closer to her, a soft blush sneaking onto her cheeks before she could stop it. He smiled and leaned over to her, hesitating for a moment, opting to pull her into a warm hug and drop a soft kiss on her cheek before letting go of her. Jess shivered in his arms, an effect he had on her ever since they'd first met, the feeling of being so close to him always left her weak and breathless.

Andy opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off by Scott, who came running up to them with a smile on his face. He put an arm around each of their shoulders and leaned forward a bit, "It comes to my attention that this is slow dance night, and you two look like you need a dance before the season starts. Jessica tried to protest, but Scott ignored her and dragged her out onto the dance floor, leaving Andy staring after them in surprise. "Scottie, you're a sweet guy and all, but I really don't feel like dancing…" She said as nicely as she could, she didn't have anything against Scott, but she wanted off of the dance floor, out of the view of the entire bar.

Feeling a tap on her shoulder, she turned, coming face to face with Jake, who was smiling softly down at her. "There you go, Jake. I delivered her to you, later man." Scott quipped as he grinned, took the fifty dollar bill he was offered and fled off the dance floor. Jake reached out and slid his fingers through her hair, brushing his thumb over her lips in a soft, slow manner. She went to step back, but his other arm wound around her waist and kept her held up against him. "Jake, please don't, just let go of me." Jess protested as she pushed at his chest to try and make him let go of her, it didn't feel right to be near him anymore like this, not after last night with Andy.

Across the room, Phil choked on his drink, causing Bren, Sig and Nik to look at him to see if he was alright. He recovered himself and stood up, glancing at Sig, "You might want to come with me, Jake is about to get in a hell of a lot of trouble." Following his line of vision, the other three looked toward the dance floor, Nik and Bren's eyes going wide in shock at what Jake was pulling. Getting to his feet, Sig joined Phil in heading toward the dance floor to try and avert disaster, Johnathan also seeing the problem and hurrying to try and help.

Beside the table, Andy's eyes had darkened dangerously the moment he saw Jake touch Jessica, jealousy and anger welling up inside him. When she started to struggle, his control snapped and he rushed toward the dancefloor, beating the other three men there. Reaching out, he grabbed Jake's arm and twisted hard, making him release Jessica. The two of them locked eyes, jealousy sparking between the two of them, causing more than a few people to stop and stare. After realizing what was happening, and that she was free of Jake's grasp, she moved straight to Andy's side.

He put a protective arm around her and held her gently, "Stay away from her, Jake. This is the last time I'm going to warn you about this." Jake went to lunge at Andy, but Sig and Phil held him back, Johnathan stepping between Jake and Andy, daring the younger man to try anything. Gently, Andy led Jessica to the exit, slipping her coat onto her and then putting his own coat on. She looked up at him, offering a soft smile as she placed her hand into his, letting him lead her outside, the door closing behind the two of them.

"Andy…thank you." She said softly as they walked through the snow toward the dock where the Time Bandit was anchored. Letting go of her hand, he slid his arm around her shoulders, coming to a stop at the edge of the dock. "Don't thank me, Jessica, I did it because I care about you." He said softly as he turned to face her, taking in the soft shapes of her face. Turning, she looked up at him, studying the look in his eyes. Gently holding her face in his hands, he leaned down, softly pressing his lips to hers, loving the feel of her lips beneath his. This was going to be a hard season, he was torn between keeping her safe in the wheelhouse, or sending her home, either of which would start a fight he didn't want to endure anytime soon.


	8. Seasickness Strikes

A/N: Ok, this chapter is so much shorter than I wanted, but every time I tried to lengthen it, nothing wanted to work out right, so I'm leaving it as it stands now. I'll make up for the shortness in the next chapter, I promise! Special shout out to my DC forum girls, I love you all!

The Time Bandit rocked from side to side as it slid over the waves of the Bering Sea, it was a calm day, but the sea was never entirely calm. Ten minutes ago, they had left Dutch Harbor for the fishing season. Jessica had been fine for a couple of minutes, smiling and laughing with the other deckhands. Three minutes after leaving port, she was hanging over the side of the rail throwing up violently. Which is where she was still located, tears in her eyes from being sick so much at one time. Johnathan had come down from up in the wheelhouse to the deck to stand beside her, softly rubbing her back to ease the sickness.

"Just let it out and take some breaths, Jess, you'll be fine in a few minutes." He said as he kept her hair held back out of her face. She whimpered and threw up again before sagging against the rail with her eyes closed. Putting an arm around her, Johnathan leaned down to her, "Come inside where you can sit down, watching the waves makes it worse Jess." Her hands gripped his jacket and she turned her face into his chest, shivering a bit from the cool air outside. The Bering Sea was like a torture test, it could chew you up and then spit you out whole again, that's what she was dealing with at the moment.

Letting her weight rest on him, John turned her toward the door leading below deck, walking her across the already slippery deck. Turning a corner, he led her to the galley and sat her down on one of the benches around the table. Jess sighed heavily and rested her head against the table, this seasickness was a killer already. Kneeling down beside her, John looked up at her pale face, "You gonna make it, kiddo?" Glancing over at him a little, she nodded to him, "I came here to work, and I'm going to do that. I'll show everyone that I can do this job, no matter what happens."

Russ walked into the galley and grinned over at her, crossing his arms over his chest, "Damn, greenhorn down, we're only a few miles off shore too." Lifting her head to look over at him, she scowled at him and stuck her tongue out, only serving to make him start laughing. "Sure, go ahead and laugh now, I'll show you, Russ." She quipped before another round of nausea gripped her and sent her running for the bathroom. Russ watched her go as Johnathan stood up, "Go easy on her, man. She's young and she's got a lot of guts to come out here with us.

Waving his hand, the deckhand smiled reassuringly, "Don't worry, she'll catch a little hell from us, but we'll take care of her out on deck." The part time captain visibly relaxed and then nodded, he knew that Russ always kept his word, he'd look out for Jess while she was on deck. He smiled at Russ before hurrying out of the galley to go check and see if Jessica was still ok or not. The last thing he needed was for her not to be alright, Andy would have a fit, and the rest of the trip would be hell.

She was on her knees in the bathroom, tears streaming down her cheeks from the onslaught of sea sickness. John sighed and stepped over to her, leaning over and gently putting a hand on her shoulder, "Calm down a little, Jess. I'll be back in a few minutes." All she could do was nod before her stomach churned and she threw up again as he left the bathroom. Shaking his head, he went up the stairs into the wheelhouse where Andy was, "Jess has one hell of a case of sea sickness, you might want to go see her for a minute."

Turning in his chair, Andy looked at his brother before standing up, "Keep us on course to the grounds, I'll see what I can do." Leaving the wheelhouse quickly, he came down the stairs and turned to his left in the hallway. His heart clenched when he saw Jess on the bathroom floor, pale and in tears at the moment. Kneeling down at her side, he put an arm around her shoulders and let her lean back on his chest. She turned in his arms, holding onto his shirt tightly as fresh tears welled up in her eyes.

Shifting, he leaned back against the wall and slid down into a sitting position, pulling her onto his lap. Carefully, he cradled her body against his, stroking her hair with one of his hands, "Don't cry Jess, I know its rough, but you'll be ok in a little while. Jess nodded when while she was still crying against his shoulder, this was already hell on her and they hadn't even gotten started yet. She hated to think about what it would really be like out on deck trying to work with the waves and the boat and everything else.

She was safe though, in his arms, and started to calm down a little, finding that it helped to ease the nausea when she was less upset. He smiled as he listened to her breathing quiet down, rubbing her back in soothing circles. "You didn't have to come down here for me, Andy." Jess said softly as she moved to rest her head against his shoulder. "Yes I did, Jessica. You're part of this crew, and you're the woman I love. I needed to make sure you were alright." Lifting her head, their eyes met and he offered a soft smile to her, reaching up to tuck a piece of hair behind her ear.

"Don't worry, you'll have your sea legs soon, and things will be a little easier for you." Andy said as he lightly kissed her forehead. For a few more minutes, she stayed where she was, drawing comfort from his arms. Finally, she moved and managed to get up to her feet, the guys were expecting her to hold her own out here. The last thing she wanted to do was let them, or Andy down while she was out with them. Pulling herself together, she smiled and offered her hand down to help him up from the floor.

Taking her hand, he got to his feet, admiring her determination already, he'd seen the change in her eyes. Jess reached out and pulled him into a tight hug, "Thank you, Andy. I won't let any of you down while I'm here, I'll make it through this." He smiled and wrapped his arms around her, holding her close for a few moments before letting go of her. Turning, she left the bathroom and went down the hall, pulling on her rain gear before venturing out onto the deck again.

He watched her go and then smiled to himself, going back up the steps into the wheelhouse, watching her from the window. "Whatever you said to her helped." Johnathan said from the Captain's chair, grinning at his brother. "She just needed a little encouragement, that's all. Jess is a strong woman, but out here its not the same at first, she'll toughen up though, I have faith in her." Andy replied as he leaned his hip against the wooden siding under the window, keeping a close eye on her from there.

She was out on the deck with Russ and the rest of the guys, talking and learning from Mike how to do bait correctly. They weren't far from the fishing grounds and she wanted to be ready when they got there. Her and Mike were laughing as they worked on the bait together, the smell wasn't helping her nausea, but she was holding out fairly well. Andy was still keeping an eye on her while she worked, happy to see that she was at least being watched over by the rest of the guys out on deck.

"You can come and sit down, Andy. They're not going to let anything happen to her out there." John said to his brother as he stood up from the Captain's chair and walked over to where he was. "I just want to make sure she stays safe out there, that's all." Andy said with a sigh as he ran a hand through his hair, which was getting slightly longer now. "We need you to be the captain, they'll watch her on deck and I'll watch her from up here. It's a dangerous job though, you can't worry constantly."

Knowing his brother was right; Andy walked over and sat down in the chair, focusing on what had to be done for this season. Checking the maps, he decided where he was going to set his first string of pots. Picking up the mic for the deck, he spoke to the crew, "Ok guys, and girl, this is the first string of pots, start of the season." Jess and Mike were still laughing, but after Andy spoke, Mike smiled and walked over to get ready for setting the pots. He'd already told her how to bait them, now they would see if she could handle this as well as they thought.


	9. Good Job, Greenhorn

A little over forty hours later, Jessica was frozen, soaking wet and nearly asleep on her feet out on the deck. Every part of her body was aching in ways and places she didn't know could feel like that. The last pot had just been set, nearly making her give a sigh of relief that she could finally get some rest. "Hey greenhorn, you tired yet?" Mike called over to her with a grin, making her roll her eyes at him. "Pots are set, crab are filling them, and I'm going to sleep while they do." She quipped before turning and walking off deck, the guys laughing a bit as they watched her go to get some rest.

Everyone was satisfied that she had been the right pick for the job until Eddie's leg got better. Not many greenhorns could make it through the grind like she had, but she hadn't even complained about it. Below deck, Jess was in the bathroom getting out of her wet clothes and into some dry ones. Before putting her clean clothes on, she stepped into the tiny shower to wash off as best she could. She didn't take long inside, wanting to save water in case something happened and they needed it. Yawning, she stepped out of the shower and dried herself off before pulling her flannel top and bottoms on.

Gathering up her stuff, she stepped out of the bathroom and went down the hall to the bunkroom she'd share with Mike. He was already in his bunk, looking over at her when she came into the room. "Andy was looking for you earlier, he said to come see him in the wheel house when you got done." She put her stuff away and nodded to him with a light smile, "Guess it's time to get my evaluation from the man in charge." Mike laughed and shook his head, "It won't be that bad, you were great on deck, not much he can complain about there." Jess grinned and put her shoes on, turning and walking out of the room to go see Andy in the wheelhouse.

There were a thousand things going through her mind about why Andy wanted to see her when he knew she was so tired. She couldn't remember having messed up while out on the deck, so she knew it wasn't about the job. Shaking off her fears, she went up the steps into the wheelhouse, pausing quietly near the top of the stairs. Andy was relaxed in his chair, for once looking peaceful, something she didn't see very often. Clearing her throat a bit, she came on up the stairs and stood near them as he looked over at her. "Hey, Mike said you wanted to see me about something?"

Sitting up a bit, Andy took a drink of his coffee and motioned to the bench nearby, "Can you grab that blanket and bring it over here?" Jess raised an eyebrow and walked over, picking up the blanket and stepping over to his chair, "Tell me you didn't call me up here just to hand you a blanket." He laughed and shook his head, the first real laugh she'd heard from him in a pretty long time. Reaching out, he took her free hand and pulled her onto his lap, pulling a slight squeak from her as she landed. Staying quiet, he curled her against him and shook the blanket out before pulling it around her.

Jess could feel her cheeks turning bright red as he pulled her close against him, into the warmth in his arms. Hesitantly, she rested her head against his shoulder, they hadn't ever been close like this, and she was still unsure about everything. His arms curled around her and he rested his head against the top of hers, "You did really great out there today." She felt herself smiling as she closed her eyes and relaxed into his arms, "I told you I'd do the job as good as I could." Andy smiled and leaned back a little in his chair, looking down at her in his arms, reaching up to brush a few strands of hair out of her face.

"Yeah, you did. Couldn't ask for a better greenhorn." He commented back with a grin that made her cheeks turn red all over again. Jess started to say something, but changed her mind, snuggling into his arms with a soft sigh. Letting her get situated, he held her tight in his arms, needing her there so that he knew she was safe. The entire time she had been on deck, he'd worried about her possibly being hurt. Aside from being tired, he knew she'd be sore when they started hauling pots, he just hoped she stayed safe all season.

A couple of hours later, Johnathan came up the stairs into the wheelhouse, pausing when he caught sight of Andy and Jess. She was curled in his arms, sleeping like a baby while Andy held her with one arm. His concentration was on the waves, still doing his job as captain while keeping her safe. The oldest Hillstrand brother hadn't expected anything less from his younger brother. Walking on over, he crossed his arms over his chest and looked out of the main windows, "You two look cozy up here." Andy glanced up at his brother and resisted the urge to roll his eyes at the statement, "I needed to be near her for a little while."

Shifting his weight from one leg to the other, Johnathan looked over at his brother, "Take her to your room and go get some rest, I'll take care of the boat." For a few moments, Andy didn't say anything, finally nodding and sliding one arm behind Jessica's knees. Standing up, he lifted her with him, a little surprised at how light she was, and how right it felt. Moving from the chair, he looked over at Johnathan, "Thanks, John, wake me up when we get close to the string." The older brother nodded and sat down in the chair to drive the boat, doing his best to hide the smile on his face. It was about time his younger brother fell in love again, and Jessica was the perfect woman for him.

Quietly, he walked down the stairs and then edged carefully down the hall to the Captain's bunkroom. Closing the door with his foot, he walked over to the bed and laid Jessica down on it. She sighed softly, stretching a little and then turning over onto her side, never once waking up. Andy smiled and shook his head while he took his boots off and then his shirt and jeans, pulling on a pair of loose pants and a t-shirt. Stepping over, he sat down on the bed, pulling the blankets up and sliding in next to Jessica. No sooner than he'd lain down beside her, she turned to him, curling herself against his side.

Smiling, he slid one arm around her, reaching up and turning the light off with the other one. Things were working out for now between the two of them, he just hoped that nothing else went wrong during the season. Having to deal with Jake Anderson had been bad enough, but fighting with her now was out of the question. The Bering Sea during opie season was not the time or the place to be having a fight. Closing his eyes, he finally let himself drift off to sleep, taking advantage of the rest while he could.


	10. A Close Call

Jessica woke up to being thrown out of bed by sheer momentum, a scream coming from her throat seconds before she slammed into the wall. A similar thud followed when Andy crashed to the floor after her, groaning from the force of impact. The boat was pitching all over the place and Jess thought she was going to pass out from how sick it made her feel. Reaching out, Andy wrapped an arm around her waist and hauled her up to her feet. "Are you ok Jess? Hey, look at me Jess, are you alright?" She nodded and held onto him, shaking her head a bit to clear her mind of sleep and figure out what was going on here.

"Put that survival suit on, I don't know what's happening up there." He said as he tossed one of the orange suits over to her. Her mouth fell open and she shook her head quickly as he left her side, "Andy! What…you can't just leave me!" She was more panicked than anything, and she didn't want him to leave her side. Sticking his feet into his boots, he looked back at her, pausing and then pulling her up against his chest. "Whatever happens right now, I love you, Jessica. Don't ever forget that." He said before dropping a kiss on her lips, barely keeping them both on their feet as the boat rocked dangerously.

Letting go of her, he flung the door open and stepped out into the hall, looking back at her and pointing to the survival suit. "Put that damn suit on and stay off the deck, don't let me catch you out there." A second later, he disappeared down the hall, leaving her standing there with a stunned look on her face. The emergency alarm was blaring in her ears and she was trying to keep herself calm. By sheer force of will, she scrambled into her boots and then started tugging on some extra clothes of Andy's to keep warm in. "You need help with your suit?" Turning her head, she came face to face with Neal and let out a sigh of relief, nodding to him.

With his help, she got the suit on and fastened securely, still unable to think clearly about what was going on. "Neal, what's happening?" She asked as second before the boat rocked again and she squealed, latching onto him to keep from flying across the room again. He held her tightly, keeping the both of them from getting injured. "Rogue waves, we're in the middle of a bad storm right now." Closing her eyes tightly, she summoned all the strength she had to calm herself down a little bit. "Get yourself up to the wheel house with John and Andy. Find something to hold onto and stay there."

Nodding to him, she squeezed him tight in a hug before letting go and making a mad dash out of the room. Barely able to control where she went, she slid into a wall, wincing at the pain that had caused. Pushing away from the wall, she started for the wheelhouse stairs again, hating the way the boat was pitching. Another squeak left her mouth as she was thrown to one side, luckily not slamming into anything. If this was what happened on a bad day, she didn't want to see a really bad day out here. As it was now, she'd be black and blue before this stupid storm ended and they got some peace.

Knowing better than to try and walk up the stairs for fear of being thrown down them, she started crawling up them toward the wheelhouse. Not even halfway up, a pair of feet appeared and she was hauled up off her feet by Scottie, "Come on, not a good idea to hang around on the stairs." With his help, she got up into the wheelhouse, making a beeline for John and latching onto his waist. A strong arm circled her and he held her close, his eyes focused out the windows, helping Andy watch for the massive waves. Reaching up, she pushed her hair out of her face and looked over to where Andy was.

He was deadly serious, his eyes never once leaving the ocean in front of them; he had too many lives in his hands right now. Jess almost smiled at how brave he was, she'd never seen this side of him before. It made her happy to know that he was this way, willing to do anything to protect the people he cared about. The smile was wiped off of her face a second later, blue eyes going wide when she saw the wave coming right for the wheelhouse. Hearing her gasp, John turned fast enough to shield her from anything with his body. Andy cursed violently when the wave hit the glass, thankfully not breaking it, but coming awfully close to it.

Biting her lower lip, Jess watched quietly, hanging onto John to keep from being thrown around the wheelhouse. The waves were intense and it was starting to make sense why the job was so dangerous. It made her want to be here every season, just to be close to Andy and know for herself that he was safe. She wouldn't be able to let him walk away to come out here without worrying herself sick. There would be so many sleepless nights if she couldn't be with him, and that made her heart clench in her chest.

Taking a step away from John, she went to move toward the far wall to hold onto something so that John could concentrate better. As soon as she stepped away from the safety of his arms, another wave hit the boat. John and Scottie both reached for her, but she was just out of their reach, and was gone too fast. She was almost picked up off her feet, getting slammed into the wooden lip under the window. The force of impact tore a pained sound out of her mouth before her head popped back, smacking against the thick glass behind her.

Jess winced as her head smacked into the glass, her eyes fading out before she hit her knees and then the floor after that. Cussing up a storm, it was all Andy could do to stay in his chair and take care of the boat, not able to handle seeing her hurt. "Scott, get her out of here, now!" Not wanting to test the patience of his uncle, Scottie hurried to her and carefully lifted her up onto his shoulder. Using both arms to carry her was out of the question; they'd both end up hurt that way if he tried.

Safely down the stairs, he went to the captain's cabin and put her down on the bed as gently as he could. Unzipping the suit a little, he pushed the hood off of her head, wanting to check on her head and see what the damage was. There was a pretty big place on the back of her head where she'd smacked the window, but she wasn't bleeding. Neal came in a minute later with a bag of ice wrapped up in a towel, helping Scottie get her on her side before gently putting the ice against her head to help keep the swelling down. Andy wouldn't like seeing that she was hurt, but injuries were a part of what happened, all of them knew that.

A little while later, after the storm had passed and it was safe for Andy to come down and check on her, he had nearly ran down the stairs to get to her. Scottie left them alone, closing the door behind him on the way out. Sighing a bit, Andy sat down on the bed beside her, she was still out completely. Quietly, he set to work getting her out of the survival suit, tossing it aside before slipping her shoes off and sitting them beside the bed. He took the extra clothes off of her and put them aside before laying down in front of her, gently brushing the hair back from her face.

Just a day ago, she had been one of the strongest women he'd ever seen, holding her own out on the deck. Now she was almost helpless because of the injury from the storm, he wanted to send her back home now. This was not the place he wanted her to be; it was almost killing him to see her hurt like this. No it wasn't a horrible injury, but he was lucky it hadn't given her a concussion, or worse. They'd kept her awake for a while before finally letting her go back to sleep to ease the headache she had. In a couple of days they would go in and offload their first catch, he made his mind up that he'd send her home as soon as they hit the dock, he had to.


	11. Turnabout Is Fair Play

Just as Andy had predicted, their pots had been filled quickly, finding the mass of crab with every string they'd set. Pots had been picked up and then reset again, hoping to get as lucky from the second trip as they were with the first. With the hold stuffed full of crab, the crew had bunked down for a while; getting some much needed rest after the long hours. Jessica was worn out, falling asleep the second she landed in her bunk. Andy had checked in on her not long after she'd fallen asleep, making sure she was still ok. They'd turned for the processors, it wasn't a long trip, and they had made it safely.

The Time Bandit was docked in St. Paul to offload; the crew was keeping a close eye on the offload, making sure the numbers added up. Up in the wheelhouse, tempers were flaring nearly out of control between captain and greenhorn. Jessica was yelling for all she was worth, and Andy was sitting in his chair with a stone face. "Do you honestly think you can just drop me off here and send me back home?!" She was screaming at him now, and she didn't care, she was so mad at him she couldn't control herself. "I already told you, it's for your own good, you don't need to be out here, it's too dangerous." He said back at her, not daring to look at her right now though.

"News flash, _Captain_ Hillstrand, you don't get to tell me what I can and can't do when I haven't done anything wrong!" Jamming her hands down on her hips she looked at him, pale blue eyes nearly glowing with how mad she was. "I have the right to send your ass home when I think you need to go home, Jessica." Andy snapped back at her as he stood up, their eyes meeting, causing tension to flare through the air again. "If you think you can leave me on this dock and then come waltzing back to ranch and find me waiting for you, then you are sadly mistaken." Her voice was low, just daring him to try and test her; she was mad and ready to fight for what she wanted.

"You wouldn't walk away and leave, Jessica, you're not that kind of woman." He said back to her, crossing his arms over his chest. "Oh I'm not? Then you just put me on that dock and sail away, you won't ever see me again, I guarantee it." Andy hesitated, as mad as she was he was starting to wonder if maybe he'd pushed her too far this time. "Yeah now you think about it, you're so damn predictable." Shaking her head, she threw her hands up in the air, turning her back to him, "You know Andy, wanting to protect me is one thing, taking away my ability to make my own choices just puts me in a cage."

Lifting her hand, she brushed it through her long hair, trying to mask the tears that were welling up in her eyes. "It would have been nice if you'd just told me how scared for me you were, instead of ordering me to get off the boat and go home." He faltered, his wall starting to crack at the sound of her pain, mentally cursing himself. "Jessica, you know I didn't mean it like that, but this is really no place for a woman." Oh yeah that had been a mistake, she rounded on him with narrowed eyes, angry tears finally falling from her eyes. "I show you can I do this job and then you pull this on me? You know what, I don't care, I'm done with you."

She turned and started for the stairs to leave the wheelhouse, making him hurry to catch her before she got away. Reaching out, he grabbed her arm, hauling her back to him, "I didn't say that, you can't just walk away from us, Jessica. I love you…" Jessica hit his chest, twisting her arm free of his grasp; "Well that's your misfortune now, isn't it?" Sighing, he gripped her upper arms and hauled her against his chest, covering her mouth with his. At first, she fought with him, doing her best to keep from showing emotion, not wanting to break down against him. "Promise me you're not going to walk away from me." He said softly against her lips, keeping her held tightly against him to prevent her from escaping.

"No...you're trying to send me away…" She said back to him, feeling her cheeks turning bright red from how close they were right now. It wasn't hard for her to remember the last time they'd argued in the wheelhouse; they'd ended up in bed together after that. "I'm sending you away to protect you, because I love you." Andy said softly, changing his hold on her so that one hand could slide through her hair. Before she could speak, his mouth was on hers again, slowly making her melt into his arms. Her arms wound around his shoulders, softly kissing him back, not able to resist him this time.

A few heated moments later, she broke the kiss and took a step back from him, raking her fingers through her hair with a light laugh. "As much as I enjoy you, Andy, I still can't forgive you just because you kissed me breathless. I'm staying here whether you like it or not, I won't walk out on this crew just because you're scared for me." Sticking her hands into her pockets, she shrugged a little and then turned, going down the stairs. He watched her turn and walk away; shaking his head at how easily she could start and end an argument with him. The only way to get her off the boat would be to physically put her on the dock, and he wasn't about to try that.

Sitting down in his chair, he leaned back and sighed, wondering how in the world he'd ended up being the one getting tricked here. He'd had it all planned out, calm her down and then put her off the boat where she was safe. Instead, he'd ended up with the most amazing few moments he'd ever had with her in his arms, and she was till on the boat. Shaking his head, he had to smile about it too; she was the only woman smart enough to pull something over on him. Oh yeah she'd been mad, and upset, that was all real, but she'd played his game and had beaten him at it. There was no time to argue with her again, he had no choice but to take her back out for the second trip.

He made up his mind to keep a closer eye on her though; he wasn't about to let anything else happen to her. Leaning back a little more, he kept the smile on his face as he watched the processors offload the crab. His mind wasn't on crabbing right now though; the honey blonde haired woman below deck was where his attention was. Just when he thought he had her all figured out, she turned around and surprised him, every time. The only thing he could do was talk to the rest of the crew again; he needed to make sure they would keep her safe. Something was a little off about her and he didn't know quite what it was yet, but he was going to find out.

(A/N: Don't kill me for the shortness here, I'm sorry about that. However, I do have the next chapter planned and needed a way to lead into it. I promise the next chapter will be better than this one, and thank you all for your support!)


	12. Don't Take The Girl

A/N: Ok so PLEASE don't kill me over this one lol. I had to do this because it had been running through my head for ages, I'm not telling ya'll what happens yet though. Next chapter should be done in a couple of days, if all goes well for me. Thanks to all of you who read and review, you're awesome.

Special shoutouts to jessewalla, IrishCaptain, deathbypickle, makeyfamous, AleutianStorm, and all my DC family from the forum that I haven't been on in so long lol. I still love you guys bunches, I might actually get this story finished one of these years!

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After an argument and the offload, Andy had managed to get things under control enough to get back out to the grounds. That had been a couple days ago, and things were still touchy with him and Jessica. It was getting closer to the end of the season, thankfully enough for Andy, because he'd managed to hold it together so far. She hadn't gotten hurt or been in any danger since the morning the storm came through before the offload. He had talked with his crew, making sure that they knew to keep her out of danger if at all possible. Being the stubborn woman she was, she had still gone back out onto deck, but had kept her cool and played it safe.

It was dark out on the Bering, making everything seem worse, and it made Andy uneasy to see her still out on the deck. Waves were crashing over the deck, soaking them to the bone while they worked to get the last of the pots hauled. Jessica was right in the middle of all the chaos out on deck, holding her own. In just the short time she'd been with them, she had become a part of their family, and they were all watching out for her. Every time she slipped or fell, someone was always right there at her side to help her back on her feet.

The sea was getting too angry that night, so much so that it had Jonathon up in the wheelhouse with Andy. Both of them were keeping a close eye on things, knowing they were going to have to call the crew in for a while hours. So close to the end, neither of them wanted to call it off yet, but safety always came first. Andy finally gave the order for them to secure things on deck for now and come back in for a while. Jessica helped get things secured and then walked off the deck with Neal, the two still talking about her hook throwing skills. She was laughing and joking with them as they walked below deck.

Grinning, she peeled off her deck clothes, leaving them near the door, getting a look from Mike in the process. "Nice clothes, didn't think you were a flannel wearing woman." Rolling her eyes, she stuck her tongue out at him, "Shut it, Mike. Out here I'd wear pink flannel if it kept me warm." They all burst out laughing, helping to keep the mood lightened between all of them, even in a stressful working environment. Turning, she followed them into the galley to get some coffee and warm up a little while they waited for the storm to calm down. She sat down beside Neal and accepted a cup of coffee from Scottie with a raised eyebrow, "You didn't spit in it, did you?"

"If I did, would it kill you?" He asked with a grin as he reached over and mussed her hair a little. "Yeah…I don't know Scottie, it might kill me." Jessica shot back at him with a grin before taking a drink of the warm liquid. "Damn, I forgot to tie up that last pot, I'll be back down in a minute." He said as he rolled his eyes and hurried out of the galley to go take care of tying up the pots. Shaking her head, Jessica just laughed and leaned back in her seat, taking another drink of the coffee. They had all started up laughing and joking around again, picking at each other here and there to keep their entertainment going until they could all get back home.

A minute later, the boat alarm went off seconds before a rogue wave slammed into the boat, causing it to rock badly. "Oh yeah here we go again, I loved this last time." Jessica said as she rolled her eyes and stood up, careful to hold onto something stable just in case. Blinking a bit, the coffee cup fell out of her hand and she looked incredibly pale, "Oh Jesus…Scottie!" Taking off out of the galley, it took the guys a second to catch on before they realized the problem. Scottie still hadn't come back in from off the deck where he'd been going back to secure a pot from earlier.

Jessica didn't waste a second of time, running straight down the hall and out onto the deck, wearing only her normal clothes and a pair of boots. Glancing around, she felt her heart racing in her chest when she didn't see him right off. "Scottie! Where are you?" She was yelling for him, shivering as the spray from the waves started soaking through her clothes. All she could hear was the alarm and the raging of the sea, fearing that they'd just lost him. "Jess…I'm over here!" Turning quickly, she ran over toward where he was, scaling the pots easily and reaching out to help him get finished tying them up.

Up in the wheelhouse, Andy let out a string of cursing when he saw her dash out onto the deck like that. "What the hell is she doing! She's going to get herself killed out there like that!" He yelled, slamming his fist down onto the wooden surface of the control panel, his heart nearly beating out of his chest. The deck was not a place he wanted to see her right now, and he really didn't like the image of her up on the pots with Scottie. Closing his eyes for a second, he said a quick prayer and then locked his eyes back on her form.

Finishing up the job together, she grinned at him, shivering as she carefully climbed down onto the deck. He came down after her and smiled, "Thanks for the help, lets get back inside now, you look like you're freezing to death." Nodding, she laughed and started across the deck with him to go back to the galley. Of course, her first trip would be to her bunkroom to get some dry clothes before she froze. Patting her on the back, Scottie hurried on across the deck, stepping inside and starting to pull off his rain gear, glancing back to watch her come on inside.

Just as she was nearing the corner of the sorting table, Andy felt his heart stop when he saw the wave. It crashed over the side of the boat with no warning, slamming into the sorting table and knocking it free of where it was sitting. Momentarily blinded by the rush of water, Jessica never saw what was happening. The sorting table hit her right side, slamming her up against the boat harder than she would have liked. She was definitely in a considerable amount of pain, holding her side with one hand; trying to hold back the tears she could feel welling up in her eyes at how bad it actually was.

Scottie moved to go out and help her off the deck, but bad things always came in pairs or more, and he never had the time to get to her. Another wave crashed over the rail and hit the sorting table, sending it flying right into her for the second time. The force of impact was so much that it knocked the air out of her instantly. A second later, she was out completely, sinking down onto the deck. Scottie and Neal were at her side almost as soon as she fell, moving the table and then lifting her together, hurrying to get off the deck. Andy was in a state of shock up in the wheelhouse, tears actually welling up in his blue eyes.

Leaving the boat to Jonathon, he turned and ran from the wheelhouse, feeling his heart breaking in his chest. They had cleared off the table in the galley, laying her down on it as carefully as they could. When he ran inside, he stopped, his face turning pale when he saw how lifeless she looked. It was worse than the bump on the head days earlier; she was barely even breathing this time. A thin, almost steady line of blood was dripping from her mouth and he knew she had internal injuries. Closing his eyes, he turned and ran back toward the wheelhouse as fast as his legs could carry him.

He didn't care about the season anymore; nothing mattered except getting her to a hospital as fast as they could. Taking the stairs two at a time, he came up into the wheelhouse, grabbing the mic from it's place on the wall. John stayed quiet, watching the way his brother was reacting to things right now. His hands were shaking as he tried to hold himself together, "Coast Guard, this is the Time Bandit. We've got a crew member down, immediate assistance requested." Every boat out on the Bering heard the call go out, the other captains pausing when they heard.

"Copy that, Time Bandit, we need any details you can give us." Swallowing hard, Andy closed his eyes for a moment, "Female, twenty-eight years old. A rogue wave hit the boat…the sorting table hit her…twice. There's internal bleeding…she's got blood coming from her mouth." Leaning his head against the wall, Andy did his best to hold it all together, feeling the hot tears slide down his cheeks now. Holding his arm out, he handed over the mid to John, turning toward the stairs, "Tell them where we are…and get them out here, now. I won't lose her, John, I can't." With that said, he was gone back down the stairs, not caring who saw the tears in his eyes, the woman he loved needed help.

Neal had her as dry and leaned up as they could get her, having blankets wrapped around her to keep her warm. Mike was keeping a constant check on her pulse and her blood pressure, making Andy thankful to have such a great crew. Taking a light breath, he walked over to them, stopping beside Scottie, who was about as shaken as his uncle. "I couldn't…everything happened so fast…" He said quietly, bringing Andy's attention to him, "There wasn't anything you could do, Scott." Putting a hand on his nephew's shoulder, Andy gave a light squeeze and then went over to where she was laying on the table.

Sliding by, he stood near her head and shoulders for a second before sitting down, reaching out to lightly brush the hair away from her face. She was so pale right now, making him worry even more than he had been before. "Can you guys give me a minute alone with her…please?" Everyone nodded and quietly left the galley, knowing that he was more than a little upset about everything right now. Andy closed his eyes, leaning forward and resting his head against her shoulder. His hand found one of hers, gently squeezing it as new tears slid down his cheeks. "Jessica, I know you can hear me. You listen to me, don't you dare die on me, you hear me? I love you, and I'm not going to let you die like this, I won't."

Lifting his head, he reached out, brushing all of the hair away from her face, gently turning her head toward him. Picking up a towel from beside her, he wiped the fresh blood away from her mouth. His heart clenched, but he held it together for the moment, putting the towel down with a sigh. Leaning down, he pressed a soft kiss onto her lips, praying that she didn't die like this on him. Sliding down, he sat beside her, holding her hand in his and resting his head against her shoulder again. This was the last time he was ever going to put her in danger again, his heart couldn't take seeing her like this. It also made him realize something else; he loved her more than anything in the world, losing her would shatter him into a million pieces.


	13. Never Let Go

Everything seemed to be in slow motion for Andy after Jessica had been injured out on the deck earlier. The Coast Guard seemed to take far too long to get to the boat, and she had looked too pale, too fragile. All too soon though, she was gone from the Time Bandit and on her way to the hospital. He knew she was safer there than out here with him, but his heart ached to be with her, not stuck on the boat. The entire crew saw the change in him when she left the boat; she had been the reason for his smile. Jonathan was sitting up in the wheelhouse, watching his brother run the ship, completely on autopilot.

Standing up, he stretched a little and then walked over, putting a hand on his younger brother's shoulder. "Andy, why didn't you go with her?" It was a simple question, but it was clear to see how tense he became when asked. The answer was as clear as the glass windows on the Time Bandit. "What if she dies, John? I can't watch her die…I love her." Andy said quietly, his grip tightening on the throttle of the boat. Leaning down a little, Jonathan looked at his brother, "If you're so in love with the woman, why the hell are we still out here? The season isn't over yet, St. Paul is only a couple hours away, go back to port and get your ass off this boat and get to the woman you love, I'll take care of fishing."

Closing his eyes, Andy let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding until that moment. Letting go of the throttle, he stood up from the captain's chair and stepped out of the way. "Take us back to St. Paul, I'm going to Jessica." Jonathan smiled and sat down in the chair, watching Andy hurry out of the wheelhouse. He knew from the first time he saw Andy with Jessica at the ranch that the two were meant to be. Divorce had left Andy bitter, refusing to let another woman into his heart, and then she'd walked back into his life. That had been the turning point for the younger Hillstrand brother; she turned his world upside down and then inside out on top of that.

The entire crew of the Time Bandit had known when she came back into Andy's life, because his eyes lit up. On the outside he might have been fussing about every little thing she did, but it wasn't hard to see the change. It had taken time for the two of them to get together though, which probably wasn't a bad thing. Andy didn't need to rush into anything after his divorce, and fighting with a spitfire like Jessica had made him come alive again. Smiling to himself, John leaned back in the chair; things were finally working out, only in strange ways. He knew deep down that Jessica would make it, she wasn't a woman who knew how to give up, or how to fail, and she'd live through whatever was wrong.

Below deck, Andy was packing only what he needed to have with him, the less he had to worry about, the better. Jessica's bag was already packed and ready to go, thanks to Mike and Neal earlier. Nearly finished with packing, he paused when he came across the shirt he'd seen her wearing at the ranch a few mornings before they left. The image of her standing in the kitchen in his shirt with a halo of early morning light around her came to him and he smiled. Out of every memory of her he had, that was the one he loved the most. She was completely at peace at that moment, and was more beautiful than he'd ever seen her be. Sitting down on his bunk, he closed his eyes, he could smell the sweet vanilla scent that was always with her.

It was unusual for his things to smell like she did, but he wanted that to change, he needed her near him. Waking up with his bed smelling like her had made him one of the happiest men in the entire world. Even if she had gotten up to go back onto the deck, her pillow still smelled soft and sweet like her. Locking the memories away in his heart, he finished packing his things and then left the room. Going to her room she shared with Mike, he picked up her bag and carried it back, putting it with his. Turning around, he hurried down the hall and back up the stairs to the wheelhouse, eager to get back to St. Paul.

A couple of hours later, the Time Bandit was back in St. Paul harbor and Andy was rushing off the boat. He said his goodbyes and as soon as his feet hit the dock, he was running as fast as his legs could carry him. The bags over his left shoulder didn't even feel like they were there, all he could think about was getting to her side. Cold snow bit at his face, but he felt more alive when something concerned Jessica, she made him live again. He stopped when he got to the main doors of the hospital, standing there for a moment to pull himself together and catch his breath. John had reminded him over and over again that she was a fighter and wouldn't let something like this take her down.

Finally pulling himself together, he walked through the hospital entrance and up to the information desk. "I'm look for Jessica Daniels, she came in off the Time Bandit, I'm her boss." He was a little uneasy about giving any other reason for being there, not wanting to have to draw out a long explanation. "Captain Hillstrand, I'm sorry but I can't let you go back, immediate family only." The nurse said with a light smile, he had known something like this might come up, but he'd do anything to see her right now. "Look, I know it's hospital policy, but we are her family. I'm responsible for her and I need to see her with my own two eyes." She watched him for a minute and then sighed and nodded, "Ok, but you can't stay for long, she needs her rest tonight."

He offered a light smile to thank her, adjusting the bags on his shoulder, waiting for her to tell him where Jessica was. "Go down the hall over there, she's in the last room on the right. The doctors have sedated her so she can rest, so she may not be awake right now." Andy nodded and took off down the hall, not able to wait any longer. It was taking all he had in him not to take off running to her, he was close to it already anyway. When he got to the door, he paused, reaching out and turning the handle. Pushing the door open quietly, he stepped inside and then pushed the door closed again. Turning around, he put the bags down beside a chair in the room, walking quietly over to the bed.

Jessica was sleeping peacefully, or at least looked peaceful lying there, but at the same time she looked so small. She was a little more pale than normal, but not as bad as she had been just after the accident. Reaching out, he softly brushed the hair away from her face, threading his fingers through it. Pale blue eyes flickered open, still heavy with sleep and confused until their eyes met. He felt his heart skip a beat when she realized he was there, having to gently hold her down so she didn't try and sit up. "It's ok, you don't need to move, Jess." He said quietly before reaching down and gently taking her hand into both of his.

"Andy…you came here…you didn't have to…" She said quietly, giving his hand a gentle squeeze in her own. "I did have to come here, Jessica, more than you know." Andy said back to her, sliding a chair over and sitting down beside the bed, still holding her hand. "There are a lot of things I haven't done right, but this is one thing I am doing right. When I saw you on that deck…I thought I lost you, and I can't accept that." Closing her eyes, she put her finger against his lips, "Please Andy, don't. There's something I need to tell you, and I need you to understand why I'm going to say it. Don't try and talk me out of it."

His heart tightened in his chest, the sound of her voice had already told him that whatever she was going to say wasn't going to be good. "When I'm able to fly safely, I'm going back home. Not to the ranch with you, back to my home in Savannah." Her words hit him like a blow to the stomach; she was leaving him, for good. "No…no Jessica you can't leave, damnit I love you!" A sad smile crossed her lips and she gently reached up to touch his cheek, "Its for the best this time, Andy. Please just understand that this is what I need to do, it's what's best for me this time." There was no way he could accept that, not when he was in love with her, she couldn't just walk away and leave him there.

"You can run all over the face of this Earth, Jessica, but I will come after you. I will bring you back to me and I will show you that I love you more than anything in this world." Tears welled up in her blue eyes and she shook her head, trying her best to be strong, "Don't, just don't. Let me go this time, you don't need me, Andy, you don't." Taking his hat off, he stood up and tossed it on the chair, leaning close to her, "I am not letting go of you, I meant what I said, I will come for you no matter what. Because I love you." Before she could speak again, his lips gently cut her off, kissing her softly. If she wanted to run, he'd have to make sure he was standing at every exit, he wouldn't lose her now.


	14. Determination Is Key

Andy was in a foul mood, and had been over four months since Jessica had made good on her claim of leaving. He'd gone straight to Savannah to hunt her down, but had come up empty handed after a week of trying to find her. John was viewing the whole situation with a tolerance and a bit of humor. It was the first time in a very long time that he'd seen Andy get so worked up over a woman. Even now he was listening to his younger brother in his office, it was no wonder why no one would tell him where she was. The way he was carrying on, he'd be lucky if the cops didn't show up at the door before the end of the day.

Each day that went by only made the younger Hillstrand more desperate to find her than the day before. He had gotten to the point where he was starting to take it out on anyone who got too close to him. By some miracle, he'd gotten hold of the phone number for a friend of Jessica's who lived in Savannah. At the present moment, he was barely keeping his voice down from a yell, demanding she tell him where Jess was. Apparently, the woman wasn't cooperating and it only served to make him madder than before. Shaking his head, John walked through the door and plucked the phone from Andy's hand.

"Melody, I'm sorry for anything my little brother said, thanks for talking with him." A second later he hung up and then looked over at Andy. He was rewarded with a glare that was usually reserved for, well; it was a new kind of glare really. "Don't look at me like that, you need to calm yourself down." Reaching over, he put the phone back on it's stand, staying close in case he decided to go for it again. "I wouldn't have to be this way if she hadn't run away in the middle of the night!" Andy snapped back at him, sitting down in a nearby chair, oh yeah he was itching for an argument about everything these days.

"Maybe she shouldn't have left the way she did, but you can't control her, Andy. She's a grown woman who has the right to make her own decisions." The younger of the two made a sound of disgust and looked over at his brother. "A grown woman wouldn't act the way she's been acting. What the hell's she running away from anyway?" Shrugging his shoulders, John leaned his hip against the desk, "Did it ever occur to you that she might be just a little bit scared of falling in love? It might look like women are the ones who are used to all that, but think about who we're talking about for a minute."

Raking a hand through his hair, Andy turned his head to look out the window, "It's not about her falling in love, John. I know she loves me, I saw it in her eyes every time she looked at me. There's something she's trying to hide and I don't know what it is." John raised his eyebrows a little at the accusation his brother had just made, not sure what she'd be hiding. "What would she possibly have to hide?" Andy looked back over at his brother, throwing his hands up in the air a little, "If I knew what she was hiding, I wouldn't be sitting here trying to find her." Shaking his head a bit, John pushed away from the desk, "If you want to find her, you might want to be a little more calm with her friends. You know they're not going to tell you anything if you're yelling."

Before he could say anything back, John had left the room, leaving Andy there to think to himself. For the life of him he couldn't figure out what in the world Jessica could possibly be hiding from him that would make her run. He froze suddenly, a chill running through him as a thought entered his mind. If he was right, and he had a strong feeling he was, he'd just figured out why she'd been running from him. Picking up the phone, he dialed the number for her friend Melody again, finding a strange calmness settle over him. She'd barely answered the phone when he spoke, "Please Melody, you have to tell me where she is, I know why she's running."

There was a bit of hesitation on the other end of the line and he thought she was going to hang up on him. "Tell me why you think she's running, Andy." Closing his eyes, he willed himself to stay calm with her even though he was nearly to the breaking point. "She's pregnant." He'd finally said it out loud, the one thing he wouldn't have ever imagined that would cause her to run from him. A sigh broke his thoughts and he waited quietly, "She is, and she's really scared you're going to be mad at her. Promise me that if I tell you where she's hiding, you won't upset her when you find her."

"Anything, I'll promise you anything just to see her again, I need to see her, Melody." He nearly begged, and Andy Hillstrand was not a man who begged. It seemed to take the woman forever before she finally spoke to him again, "She's here in Savannah. Look, Andy, she's leaving tomorrow and I don't know where she's going. If you want to see her, you only have until tomorrow at five." That was all the information he needed to know, he knew where she was and how to get to her now. For him, it didn't matter if it took him all night to get there and get to her; she was going to be in his arms one way or another. "I'm coming there for her, I love her more than anything. Thank you Melody, so much, thank you."

A second later, he hung the phone up, nearly running out of the office, making a beeline for the stairs. John barely moved out of the way of his brother running up the stairs, taking them two at a time. Yeah that was out of the ordinary, Andy wasn't what he'd call old, but the man had just taken the stairs two at a time. Deciding it was safer downstairs; he leaned against the wall near the stairs to wait for his brother to come back down. If he had to put money on what had Andy so excited, Melody had told him where to find Jessica. Which, in a nutshell meant that his brother was packing and would be on the first plane out of there, and he was usually right about his feelings.

Upstairs, Andy had grabbed the nearest shoulder bag he got to in his closet, jerking clothes out of the closet. Throwing only what he needed in the bag, he got some things from his dresser and then zipped it up. Picking up his cowboy hat, he jammed it down on his head and turned, leaving his room quickly. Bag over his shoulder, he went down the stairs, stopping when he saw John step out in front of him. "I know where she is, I have to go find her, and she's leaving tomorrow." The older of the two nodded a little, he'd been right about what he thought had his brother so worked up, "I'm not going to stop you, but at least be sane enough to drive safely to the airport, you're no good to her if you're dead."

"I'm not that far gone yet, I can drive." Andy said back to him before accepting the set of keys that John offered him. Nodding a bit, he stepped around his brother and ran for the door, barely even stopping. John watched him dash down the steps to the truck, oh yeah, the man had it bad for Jessica. Shaking his head, he turned and walked to the kitchen to turn off the lights and coffee pot. He had a feeling Andy would find her easily enough; the problem would be getting her to come back with him. If he knew Jessica like he thought he did, he was almost positive that she was going to put up a fight; it would be a battle of wills. Secretly, he hoped that Andy was strong enough to stand up and bring her back, they both deserved to be happy.


	15. Starting Again

**A/N: I've finally updated this story after so long and I apologize for making everyone wait to see what happens next, I just haven't had the inspiration needed to get back to work on this until now. I'm in the process of trying to get this finished now though, so please bear with me and be patient while I hammer out chapters for you wonderful people. Reviews and constructive criticism are always welcome, and if you have any ideas, you're welcome to share them with me. **

**Also, I do work a lot with my sister, Sarah, on our joint writing, which is what I've been doing for so long now. We'd both love it if you'd take a trip over to our page and read/review our stuff to let us know how we're doing. We have a lot planned for things and would really love an opinion. Just go here - .net/u/2060936/Storme_Hardy_and_Kandy_Kane - and check out our stuff. There's more coming soon!**

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It was funny how things worked out sometimes, and even funnier when they didn't work out at all. Jessica had run from Andy thinking that he'd drop it and just let her go, but there was no rest, he had been trying to find her since the second she left. He made it hard for her to get anywhere away from him, because he just kept showing up. She had made up her mind to just leave the country, ok it was drastic, but she was going to do it anyway. Running from him was the only thing she could think of to do, she'd heard the way he talked about his ex wife and not wanting another family.

That was the part that hurt her the most, she had heard him say he didn't want another wife, or more kids, or anything really. So she'd taken it on her self to pack up and leave, she could handle a baby on her own. Well, maybe she couldn't, she would miss Andy even more than she already did. Love makes people do silly things though, sometimes-irrational things, and she was head over heels in love with him. It was a bad catch to find, when you're trying to run from someone and then you realize that you're running from the only person in the world who has your heart in the palm of their hand.

Jessica found herself at that point in her life, sitting in her Savannah apartment, watching a movie that Melody had let her borrow. She wasn't even really watching it; her mind was always on Andy, no matter what she was doing. Reaching down, she slid her hand over the 'baby bump' as Melody had called it, but for her it was so much more different. A part of Andy was always with her now, a part of him that she loved more than life itself, just the way she loved him. Fatigue pulled at her hard, she'd been doing so much to run away from him that she'd constantly worn herself out. She knew she shouldn't be running, but she'd made her choice and things were what they were now, good or bad.

Yawning a little, she pushed herself up from the couch and stretched before turning and making her way into the kitchen. She hummed to herself as she pulled out the stuff to make a sandwich with, intent on taking care of the light growling her stomach was offering up. Before getting pregnant, she'd never believed the rumors about having to eat for two, but she was starting to believe they were true. Over the last few months, her appetite had increased to where she did feel as though she was eating enough for two people. Glancing back at the movie, she shook her head a little and then looked back to her sandwich, continuing with what she was doing. Nothing like a good sandwich to take the edge off of hunger, at least that's what she was hoping for anyway.

Andy had been on a plane as fast as humanly possible when he found out where she was, not taking anything except what few clothes he needed. The plane hadn't flown fast enough; the traffic hadn't moved quickly enough either, not for him to get to her apartment. His bag over his shoulder, hat firmly on his head, he took the stairs two at a time to get to the door. Outside of it, he hesitated, able to hear that she was inside, after four months he'd finally get to see the woman he loved. Lifting his hand, he exhaled a breath he'd been holding and knocked on the door of the apartment. He was hoping that she wouldn't make a huge fuss and throw him out, not like he'd do anywhere without her anyway. Nope, he was leaving with her or not at all, and she wasn't going anywhere without him again, ever.

The knock on the door made Jess roll her eyes a little as she put the stuff away in the refrigerator before speaking up, "Yeah it's open, Mel. I told you a million times you don't have to knock." He didn't hesitate when he heard her voice from inside the house, there was no way she was going to run from him now, not when he was so close to her. Opening the door, he walked inside and closed it behind him, sitting his bag down just inside the door. In the kitchen, he could see her standing with her back to him, looking almost the same as she had the last time he saw her. Taking a light breath, he crossed the living room floor into the kitchen, stopping a few feet behind her. All he wanted to do was go up and pull her into his arms, refuse to ever let her out of his sight again. But he didn't, he knew just walking up and grabbing her would just scare her, and he didn't want to put her under anymore stress than he was about to.

"Giving me the silent treatment now, Melly? We already had this talk about me leaving, I've made up my mind." She said as she reached out and opened the refrigerator to put the stuff back inside before she lifted her drink up from the counter. When she turned to face him, Andy watched the shock cross her face, the glass slipping out of her hand and crashing to the floor in a million pieces, "Andy...how did..." Jessica looked like she wanted to run, to get away from him for reasons that he couldn't understand right now. Instead of letting her take off running, he took a step closer to her and reached out, softly touching her face, "I called Melody, she told me you were here." When she didn't flinch away from his touch, he lifted her up and over the broken glass, stepping back and putting her down on her feet in front of him. For the first time, he noticed the fact that she was pregnant, he'd already known that from Melody, but he was seeing it for himself now.

Finally shaking herself out of her shock, she took a small step back from him, "I told her not to tell you where I was." Sliding his hands into his pockets, he nodded a little, "That's what she said, and I want to know why you're running from me. No excuses, just give me the reason you're doing what you're doing." Glancing down a little, she stayed quiet for a few moments before speaking, "You always said you didn't want another wife or another family, so when I found out I was pregnant, I left. Why force something on you if you don't want any part of it?" He could have kicked himself for ever saying something like that, but the divorce had hurt him, and he hadn't wanted to go through the pain again. It wasn't meant the way it sounded, but he knew it was his fault for saying it in the first place. "Yeah, I said those things, but I've been hurt, Jessica. I didn't want to have to go through the pain of losing another family, but you didn't give me a choice, you left before I had a chance to make a decision."

Crossing her arms over her chest, she eyed him a little, "Why would it make any difference, you wanted to get rid of me in St. Paul. A baby shouldn't make any difference if your mind is made up, Andy." He met her eyes and crossed the distance between them, grasping her shoulders gently in his hands, "You think I came all the way out here just because you were pregnant and I felt guilty?" She looked away from him, not holding his gaze any longer than she had to, "Why else would you show up here?" Andy just looked down at her, hating the way she sounded so hurt, "Even if you weren't pregnant, I would have showed up here because I love you. I told you that before you ran away, and nothing you do is going to change that. I came here for you, Jess." Lifting one of his hands, he threaded his fingers through her hair, his other hand dropping down to her lower back to pull her close to him. She was still so slender, but he couldn't think of her as fragile anymore, she'd proven that she was made of tougher stuff than glass.

"What makes you think I want a family, Andy?" She asked softly as she finally lifted her head up to meet his gaze with her own. Stroking her cheek a little, he just smiled down at her, "You wouldn't have kept that baby if you didn't want a family, you're as much in love with me as I am with you and you know it." Before she could speak, he leaned down and pressed his lips to hers, gathering her up in his arms and holding her close to him. Jess felt her wall crumble the second their lips met and she felt the sting of tears in her eyes. Lifting her arms up, she slid them around his shoulders, returning his kiss. After months of running, he'd broken her will to keep going, she didn't want to be away from him anymore, it had been too hard on her already. When he broke the kiss, he leaned his forehead against hers, keeping her close against him, "Come back home with me, Jessica, I need you with me."

She nodded a little and he breathed a sigh of relief before hugging her a little more tightly, loving when he felt her hug him in return. After a few moments, he released her and turned his attention to her stomach, the look in his eyes softening. Kneeling down, he put his hand over her softly rounded stomach, "How far along are you now? Three or four months?" Jessica swallowed a little and nodded, noticing the change in him, "A little over four months now." Andy reached up and pulled his hat off, dropping it onto the floor before leaning his head against her stomach, "I almost can't believe you're pregnant, or that it's mine." She smiled softly and reached down, sliding her fingers through his hair, "What do you think it's going to be?" Glancing up at her, he smiled and stood back up, lifting his hat off the floor as he did, "To me, Jess, it doesn't matter. What makes me happy is knowing that it's our baby."

Our baby. She couldn't have been happier to hear those words come out of his mouth, it meant more to her than he could really ever know. Reaching out, he pulled her into the circle of his arms again, leaning his head against hers, "I'm an idiot for ever letting you get away in the first place, Jess. And for putting you in this position before you had a chance to decide if it was what you wanted in your life." She hugged him back, clutching the back of his shirt in her hands, after months apart, she didn't know if she ever wanted to let go now. The hurt and the fighting was in the past, and they had a possible future now, a future together. "I didn't have a choice in the matter, but you don't see me throwing it away either. A baby is something special, even if it wasn't something we planned on or expected to happen to us." He sighed and almost shook his head as a smile crossed his lips, why couldn't they have had this conversation sooner? It was so easy now that they were talking, when before, it had always been a constant fight between them whenever they spoke to each other.

"Maybe I'm just old fashioned, but I feel guilty that we weren't married when I did what I did. You know me, Jessica, I'm an honest man and I just don't feel right about what happened and I'm sorry." Lifting her head, she couldn't help but laugh a little and nod back to him, "I know how you are, Andy. People sometimes act without thinking, but it's not a mistake unless you don't learn something from it. But it's in the past now and we can't change it, and I don't think I'd change it even if I could, not if it takes this baby away from me." He looked down at her for a few moments, not really knowing this side of her, but accepting it all the same, "I guess we'll do things backwards this time, and hope we make up for the past with what we do from here on out." She nodded and then fixed her attention on his shirt, idly playing with one of the buttons on it, "So, how do we go about fixing what's been done?" Andy looked down at her and laughed before he could stop himself, "Woman, stop fishing for pretty words and promises, I'm a simple man and you know it. Besides, you already know what we're going to do, unless you have a problem with it."

Jess huffed a little and turned her head away from him, "Well, until you ask me nicely, I won't tell you anything, Andy Hillstrand." Trying not to laugh, he leaned down and kissed her forehead, "Sweetheart, for me to ask you the right way, I'd need a ring first. But for now, I'll settle for getting you back home with me, I'll think about asking you when we get home." She opened her mouth to speak, but gasped instead when he lifted her off her feet and carried her toward the door, picking his bag up on the way out, "Andy, put me down this instant!" Dropping his hat on her head, he opened the door and stepped outside, closing it behind them, "Not this time, sweetheart, you have a bad habit of running when I don't have hold of you. If I put you down, you might run off again and I'd have to lasso you and take you back home, and I'm getting too old to chase a woman down twice in a row."


End file.
